Simon Wehbe

When you go to the cinema, what type of movie do you decide to watch? Action? Comedy? Romance? For years now, I’ve been told by countless friends and avid movie-goers that the film industry is running out of movie ideas. Seemingly everything has already been thought of, done, re-made and done again. Fresh and original storylines have been replaced with novel adaptations and countless remakes. In recent years, movies such as Harry Potter and the Twilight series have enjoyed remarkable success on the back of well-written books.The same can be said for the comic book genre, which has seen superhero movies enjoy somewhat of a renaissance.

Hollywood blockbusters such as Iron Man, Transformers and the Avengers have set the tone as to how popular comic book characters are modernly adapted to the big screen. These movies have had tremendous success at the box office – raking in billions of dollars and creating a new legion of fans. You can probably imagine the hysteria at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2013 when it was announced that Warner Bros. and DC Comics were teaming up to make “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice”.

Images of a Superman logo with a Batman logo in the background triggered an all-out nerd feeding frenzy. Certain scenes from The Big Bang Theory come to mind. Both creations of DC Comics, Batman and Superman have, quite literally, lived entirely in their own universes for over 75 years. The thought of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent ever crossing paths remained – up until now- unicorn rare. Now on the surface, this movie may seem like a new concept. But rest assured, this idea has been thought of a long time ago. The movie is adapted from a four-issue, comic book miniseries titled “The Dark Knight Returns”, which was written by Frank Miller in 1986.The comic centres around Bruce Wayne and how his passion for being the Batman has been reignited. His enemies including Joker and Two-Face have resurfaced to wreak havoc on Gotham City.

In this series, Batman is now 55 years old and has been retired from crime-fighting for 10 years. Superman also features – as a government agent. His true identity is now publicly known. His days of bumbling Daily Planet reporter are over. An animated film version of this miniseries was released in two parts. The first part in September 2012 followed by a part two in January 2013. One of the main talking points of this big screen remake has been the decision to cast Ben Affleck in the role of Batman. Recent roles of his have been nothing like playing Batman.Affleck may not seem to be the popular choice to play the caped crusader, but staying true to the original script of “The Dark Knight Returns” required an older actor in the role.

For this movie to be an accurate adaptation of Miller’s 1986 comic, director Zack Snyder has done extremely well by not bowing to fan pressure. Snyder, who also directed Watchmen and produced 300: Rise of an Empire, told French magazine Popcorn that “Affleck has the experience necessary to paint the picture of an older and more advised Batman”. Fans and Christian Bales alike may not agree with him, but movies of this magnitude can be a make-or-break for a young director in tinsel town. Ben is a very talented actor and has had directorial success as well, with Argo winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2013. But for Affleck, fans can’t help but look back at his 2003 film Daredevil, a film which critics – and Ben himself – were not very impressed with.

In an online interview with screenrant.com, Ben claims that Daredevil “missed a lot” and that superhero movies are now “A grade movies with more dedicated focus and resources”. And in a way, he is right. Marvel Comics only gave Daredevil a $78 million budget to work with – $180 million less than what Spiderman got. The big question is not Ben Affleck though. It is whether these comic book giants can work side by side on the silver screen. The thought of putting these two beacons of justice against each other seems like a gut-wrenching reality for their respective diehards. Both are pop culture icons capable of standing on their own.

This movie is also certain to open up a Pandora’s Box of comic book mash-ups in the future. The thought of Catwoman squaring off against Poison Ivy seems inevitable and the possibilities are endless. Who knows what they will come up with next? Nothing is off limits in this new age of cinematic conceptions. The movie will premiere on May 6, 2016 and with only weeks to go before its release; fans will have enough time picking sides – and costumes – in what is sure to be an epic battle.

If you’re a diehard Aerosmith fan then you may want to look away now. According to the band, their time on the road could be coming to an end and, to make matters worse, they might not even have time to stop in Australia before they bid everyone “Aero-Vederici.”
Following a recent tour of South Africa, Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler confirmed that talks of “retirement” have been ongoing for a while. Although he stopped short of saying the Aero-Vederici Baby tour was the end, he did say it was a farewell tour of sorts.
“We all have different feelings about it. I do have a feeling that there’ll be a tour that we’ll call the final tour — but when will it end? That I can’t say,” Perry told Billboard.com.

Legends Close to the End

Although it’s extremely hard to keep an ageing rocker down as Joe Perry showed us earlier this year), the band have been together since 1970 and lead singer Tyler is now the grand old age of 68. With father time waiting for no guitar lick, the chances are that the latest European tour will be the last time we see the guys on stage. While it’s certainly good news that the band will go out on top, it’s frustrating we won’t get to see them in Australia.
Despite touring Australia nine times over the past four decades, Aerosmith hit the country’s major cities in 2013. Playing to capacity crowds at festivals in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, the band showed why they’re still loved the world over. Of course, if the European tour does prove to be the end, the obvious question will then become: how does the average Aussie get the Aerosmith fix?
Tech Can Keep the Band Alive

Well thanks to the wonders of modern technology, the band will continue to entertain us for many years to come. Indeed, if you’re ever in the US and fancy some theme park action, the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at MGM Studios is a high-octane tribute to the band. Catapulting you to speeds of 100kph in under three seconds, the ride provides as much of a rush as an Aerosmith concert.
If a trip to the US is a bit much, then we could soon see the guys become a pokie. Today’s online casino culture has given rise to a plethora of themed pokies in recent years and Aerosmith could be the next addition to the market. In fact, if you login to Pokies.com today, you’ll not see bonuses offering 50 free spins, but online pokies built around the iconic band Guns N’ Roses.
Featuring tracks from the band, betting from $0.01 and six-figure jackpots, the game certainly gets the adrenaline pumping. So, if iGaming developers can do that for Guns N’ Roses, there’s no reason why they can’t do it for Aerosmith

A Virtually Real Way to Rock Out
What about virtual reality? The latest craze around the world seems to be virtual reality, so maybe we’ll see some sort of interactive Aerosmith concert. With products such as Oculus Rift set to go on salein Australia ready for Christmas and analysts at Telsyte predicting sales will hit 110,000 by the close of 2016, there’s certainly a market for an Aerosmith VR experience.
Who knows, maybe some tech-heads will film the European tour, do some magic with it and put it into a video format that’s compatible with a VR headset. If that happens, then maybe Aerosmith’s Australian fans won’t be so disappointed that they may never get to see the band play live on Aussie soil.

Will Aerosmith’s Farewell Tour Miss Australia? If So, It May Not Matter was last modified: November 30th, 2016 by Simon Wehbe

It’s less than a month until Australia Day on January 27 and the results of the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown. The annual poll, now in its 31st iteration, attracts more than 2 million votes from across the country and prides itself on being the “world’s largest music democracy.” It’s arguably on its last legs as an Australia Day tradition, though.

Following a request from indigenous peoples concerned that the chart is held on a day they consider the start of the European conquest of Australia, the Hottest 100 is likely to change date in future years. It’s a touchy subject and one that highlights how individual dates and events can be significant for two completely different reasons.

For now, though, Australia’s favourite summer tradition remains where it is. With an entire year of songs, artists and albums behind us, here’s a look at a few of the tracks music fans have been spinning the most in 2016:

Flume – Never Be Like You

The favourite for the Top 100 in the latest betting odds actually came out a few days before Australia Day 2016. Flume’s poppy yet alternative hit Never Be Like You is a $1.65 shot. The track, which topped the ARIA Singles Chart earlier this year, comes from Flume’s second album, Skin, and has Canadian singer Kai on vocal duties. It’s a moody, experimental number with a little bit of Timberlake-style percussion thrown in.

Flume has a second entry in the running, with $17 shot, Say It.

Amy Shark – Adore

Amy Shark’s Adore ($7 chance), is a somewhat ironic number in being a sombre portrayal of the exhilaration of love. The Gold Coast artist describes Adore, a track from her recently released second EP The Little Sleeper, as a song about “crushing hard” on somebody. It follows on from Shark’s award-winning song, Golden Fleece, released earlier this year.

Tash Sultana – Jungle

Melbourne’s Tash Sultana is an $8 pick for number-one spot of the Triple J Hottest 100, with Jungle, a minimalistic, guitar-driven foot-tapper. Sultana’s draw is her unique vocal delivery, which alternates between high-speed rapping and soulful crooning. Jungle might be a little too unusual for the Hottest 100 but it’s a stunning start for the 21-year-old.

Hilltop Hoods – 1955

There are some fine Australian hip-hop acts out there (Bliss n Eso, Seth Sentry, Drapht, and masters of everything satirical and stupid Evil Eddie and Butterfingers) and Hilltop Hoods keep the ball rolling with 2016’s banger, 1955. Taken from new LP Drinking From The Sun Walking Under Stars Restrung, 1955 is an upbeat, nostalgic track with a soaring chorus courtesy of guest singer Montaigne. Beatbox supremo Tom Thum also makes an appearance. At $15 with the bookies, it’s a bit of an outsider, though.

And the Rest

Finally, brave punters can take a chance on the $15 chance Viceroy’s Violent Soho; One Dance, a track from Canadian artist and suspect dancer Drake ($16); Papercuts by Illy, and Starboy by the Weeknd ($16), an early but fallen favourite for this year’s Hottest 100.

Australia Day and the Race for the Hottest 100 was last modified: January 10th, 2017 by Simon Wehbe

“All In” Playing casino games can often evoke powerful, uncontrollable emotions, creating the rush of gambling that many find so pleasurable. When movies manage to successfully recreate this sheer buzz it can lead to some epic and awesome scenes. Here’s a look at some of the most intense gambling moments in cinema ever.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Guy Ritchie’s seminal London gangster flick was all centred on the main character’s loss of £500,000 to a cockney crime lord in a game of poker. Released in 1998, this was before Texas Hold’em enjoyed its massive surge in worldwide popularity, so the film’s protagonists played a different form called Three Card Brag. Eddy, the card sharp seeking a windfall in the game believes he is an expert at getting a read on his opponents. But Hatchet Harry, the antagonist, has a crony spying on the cards and relaying the information to him. When Eddy loses everything, his world comes crashing down around him to the tune of “I wanna be your dog” by The Stooges.Casino Royale

Although Daniel Craig is not generally considered as the best James Bond ever, Casino Royale is regarded by many as his most enjoyable outing as the spy. The film is based on a high stakes game of Texas Hold’em poker in Montenegro. Released in 2006, this was a perfect time to jump on the rising popularity of this version of poker and pull in audiences who were fans of the card game. Online poker was just getting big, and events like the World Series of Poker were becoming more prominent in the mainstream. 007’s slick domination of his opponents (shown in the video above) has inspired even more players to try their hand at Hold’em. Practice at 888poker if you want to be as cool as the MI6 spy.The Deer Hunter

Michael Cimino’s epic Vietnam War drama features a harrowing scene that has major repercussions on the characters in the movie. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken are captured and sent to a Prisoner of War camp where the sadistic guards force them into playing Russian roulette while they gamble on the outcome. The Americans pull of a daring escape but Walken’s character is scarred irreversibly which leads to a devastating turn of events later on.Goodfellas

Joe Pesci won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the psychopathic Tommy in Martin Scorsese’s phenomenal gangster movie. One of his finest scenes is during a poker game when a misunderstanding results in Pesci pumping the waiter full of lead. The other wise guys watch on in amazement as Pesci casually goes to look for a shovel.
Due to the worldwide popularity of casino games and gambling, it has been captured on the big screen numerous times over the years. Other great films to check out are Rounders, Cool Hand Luke, and Ocean’s Eleven.

The Most Intense Gambling Scenes in Movies was last modified: November 30th, 2016 by Simon Wehbe

When the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto first launched Bitcoin in 2009, nobody believed that the cryptocurrency would one day appear in movies and television around the world. In fact, it wasn’t until three years ago that Bitcoin truly went mainstream and became omnipresent.

Whilst it may sound like something out of a movie, Bitcoin is a real, safe alternative to traditional cash and cards. At first, most Bitcoin users were individuals interested in technology, as the cryptocurrency is ‘mined’ using complex mathematics. Needless to say, this didn’t attract the masses right away. However, as the years passed Bitcoin became more popular and a variety of places both online and in the physical world began accepting it as a payment method.

Using Bitcoin you can now book a flight through companies like CheapAir or Expedia, buy goods from stores including Dell and Amazon as well as physical stores such as REEDS Jewelers. One industry that Bitcoin has had a particularly notable impact on is iGaming. There are even Bitcoin-exclusive casinos, providing games you already know and love. They can be found through review sites such as bitcoinpokies.com, which provides comprehensive ratings and offers. Plus, when you play on a site that accepts Bitcoins, you can play without having to enter any personal banking information.

Having seen the success of Bitcoin-based iGaming platforms and other businesses that accept the digital currency, it is no surprise that Hollywood has embraced Bitcoin. There have already been multiple documentaries on the rise of Bitcoin including The End of Money As We Know It, which was widely applauded.

Even now Bitcoin’s momentum is building as it appears in more big-budget movies. Anyone who has seen Deadpool may remember Bitcoin’s fleeting appearance in Wade Wilson’s local bar. Meanwhile, Deep Web, which was funded online by a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, is another blockbuster where Bitcoin makes an appearance.

Speaking to CoinTelegraph, director and producer Tomer Kantor said: “Cinema doesn’t allow the viewers to choose, it tells them what to choose. Bitcoin is a tool, so every movie where it’s used would always show the perspective of the director’s desires for that tool. We’ll see Bitcoin being mentioned a lot more in TV and film as it matures, simply because people will be using it as a tool.”

Dope was the first ever movie to accept Bitcoin in exchange for tickets due to a partnership with Lionsgate, Movie Tickets and GoCoin. As to whether this partnership will continue, GoCoin CEO and Founder Steve Beauregard told CoinTelegraph: “MovieTicket.com and Lionsgate shop have expressed interest in evolving the payment options beyond just the one-time purchase. The longer-term vision is to incentives [sic] their customers in engaging ways to make their products accessible even to those that don’t have US credit cards.”

Bitcoin may not appear in movies as often as cash or cards yet, but the more it features in popular motion pictures the more famous it is likely to get. A great example of how Hollywood can impact brands is the trend between E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces. During the two weeks following the film’s release, Hershey reported a 65% profit increase due to their product’s appearance in the Spielberg’s masterpiece. Hopefully, the more Bitcoin makes an appearance in Hollywood, the more traction it will get.

Bitcoin in Hollywood: How the Cryptocurrency Became a Celebrity was last modified: December 8th, 2016 by Simon Wehbe

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The "big" band in the first issue of Buzz Magazine was NOT The Big Pop Monsters (aka Superheist) but The Buzzards, a very popular surf grunge band on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula. The Buzzards drew huge crowds in the pre-pokies pubs of the era.